- August 24, 2020
Ever since our country was besieged by the Coronavirus, millions of Americans are out of work. So many others are working from home instead of going into the office. It seems like there are benefits being paid to all of these affected workers. For people who are already on worker’s compensation, this may seem unfair. If you’re out on workers compensation, why aren’t you entitled to the special $600 weekly unemployment benefit? After all, if you hadn’t gotten hurt at work, you would be in the same boat as everyone else. Right?
This may not necessarily be true. What a lot of people don’t realize is that there is no guarantee that you would have been out of work due to COVID-19. You may work in an industry that wasn’t directly affected by the pandemic. Or, maybe you work in an industry that is thriving right now. For example, if you work for a delivery service or at a grocery store, you probably would be working more hours than you can handle right now. Or, if you work in an office, there’s a good chance you’d be working remotely. If this were the case, you wouldn’t be entitled to any special benefits.
While this may seem unfair, it is the reality we find ourselves in. Now that the time for the $600 additional unemployment benefits has expired, there’s no indication as to how people will pay their bills. For people out of work, it seems like this was the saving grace during the pandemic. The government has not clarified what they intend to do at this point. They may extend these benefits even further. Or, what is more likely going to happen is that they’ll reduce them or do away with them all together. If you’re out on workers compensation, be happy that you are still receiving your benefits. Contact our Atlanta workers’ compensation attorneys for more information today.
Workers Compensation Claimants Will Continue to Get Their Benefits
If you’re out on workers compensation, there’s a good chance that COVID-19 has put off your return to work. If you work in the hospitality industry, you probably couldn’t go to work right now even if you wanted to. Or, if you work in other industries, they may slowly be bringing employees back to work. Chances are, you won’t be one of the first people brought back, especially if you’re considered at-risk.
Even if your company is not open right now, that doesn’t mean you’re at risk of losing your workers compensation benefits in Atlanta, Georgia. Your medical coverage will continue until you are deemed ready to go back to work. You’ll also continue to receive your replacement wages every week. You may have already tried to apply for pandemic assistance to get the additional $600 every week. Depending on your situation, you may or may not have been approved. That won’t matter in a week or two anyway. By then, the entire country will likely be wondering how they’ll survive without this money.
Just be happy that you’re in no different a position than you were in before the pandemic hit. Your Atlanta workers compensation attorney will make sure your benefits continue to be paid. If there’s any issue with this, they’ll certainly reach out to the courts and find out what the problem is.
What if Your Employer Does Not Bring You Back?
You may be afraid that your employer will not bring you back to work once you are medically cleared. This is a very real possibility. Your Atlanta workers comp lawyer understands the law. Because you work in an at-will state, your Georgia employer can choose to let you go at any time. If they’re severely impacted by the Coronavirus, they may have to let a lot of employees go. It makes sense that they would choose to keep employees who are able to physically work before someone who is injured.
If this happens, you should be eligible for unemployment. Just make sure you follow all the rules when it comes to filing. And ask your workers comp attorney in Georgia to help if you run into any stumbling blocks.
Contact a Skilled Atlanta Workers Comp Lawyer Right Away
If your workers comp benefits have been cut off or denied, make sure you call our office right away. You need to talk to a skilled workers comp lawyer in Atlanta as soon as possible. With the pandemic upon us, things are taking longer than they usually do. You don’t want to waste a single day. The initial consultation is free and you don’t pay until your case is settled.
